Festive Fundraising: Charlie's Story

Charlie underwent life-saving stoma surgery at just 2 weeks old. The family live in Ayrshire, so his Mum and Dad were offered a room at Crossbasket House to be as near as possible to their new baby, and to allow big sister Hope to visit as well.

The family have since given back by holding fundraising activities over the festive period, including a bake sale at their local school’s Christmas Fair.

Hear from Charlie’s Mum, Fiona, about how vital Crossbasket House and our services were to them during an incredibly difficult start to life as a family of 4.

Charlie’s Hospital Journey

“At 16 days old Charlie’s tummy felt firm, and he wasn’t tolerating his feeds. Before we knew where we were, he was blue lighted to the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow due to a perforated bowel.

Charlie was rushed into emergency surgery and ended up with a stoma bag. The support we received from the Gastro team was fantastic.

At 4 months old, Charlie went back to have his stoma reversed and is now thriving! Charlie will continue to attend appointments and be supported by the amazing NHS staff.”

Crossbasket House

“After Charlie came out of his life saving surgery, he was taken straight to PICU. This is where my husband, Grant, and I were given access to Crossbasket House.

They welcomed us and ensured we had everything we needed to freshen up, including post-partum supplies for myself. The House allowed us to keep some parts of normality, such as cooking dinner in the excellent communal kitchen.

It became our home away from home and allowed our daughter Hope, who was 13 months at the time, to visit in a safe environment, as a hospital bedside would have been impossible.”

Giving Back

To give back and say thanks to the team at Crossbasket House, Fiona and Grant set out to raise as much as possible through a range of fundraising activities.

We recently welcomed the family to the House to present them with a cheque of their final fundraising total, an incredible £3,100!

“While we were in the children’s hospital, we both decided we needed to give something back to the House and families using the facility, as without it we wouldn’t have gotten through the hardest time of our lives.

We were lucky enough to have a huge village around us who made fundraising possible, especially Charlie’s Auntie El, who baked up a storm for our Christmas stall.”